Internet subscriber management

Abstract

A subscriber information management system for use with a broadcast system, and a method of managing subscriber information, are described. The system includes storing subscriber internet parameters relating to internet services access and storing subscriber broadcast parameters relating to broadcast services access. The internet and broadcast parameters are linked.

1. A subscriber information management system for use with a broadcast system, comprising:
 means for storing subscriber internet parameters relating to access to internet services by a subscriber; 
 means for storing subscriber broadcast parameters relating to access to broadcast television by the subscriber, wherein the subscriber has a first subscription for access to internet services and a second subscription for access to broadcast television; and 
 means for processing requests relating to access to internet and broadcast services that allows the broadcast system to provide internet services to the subscriber, 
 wherein providing internet services to the subscriber comprises allowing the subscriber to interactively use internet services, and 
 wherein said internet and broadcast parameters are linked by the subscriber information management system, and wherein the linked internet and broadcast parameters are used to relate the first subscription and the second subscription and to obtain internet services and broadcast services. 
 
     
     
       2. The subscriber information management system according to  claim 1 , wherein the subscriber broadcast parameters comprise information relating to the subscriber's subscription to broadcast television, and the subscriber internet parameters comprise information relating to the subscriber's subscription to internet services. 
     
     
       3. The subscriber information management system according to  claim 1 , further comprising means for providing access to internet services for a subscriber having given broadcast parameters. 
     
     
       4. The subscriber information management system according to  claim 1 , wherein said internet services include services for sending and receiving mail over the internet. 
     
     
       5. The subscriber information management system according to  claim 4 , wherein said subscriber internet parameters comprise information relating to e-mail accounts of subscribers. 
     
     
       6. The subscriber information management system according to  claim 5 , wherein the subscriber internet parameters comprise e-mail addresses. 
     
     
       7. The subscriber information management system according to  claim 1 , comprising means for monitoring usage of the internet by the subscriber to provide billing information. 
     
     
       8. The subscriber information management system according to  claim 1 , wherein the subscriber broadcast parameters comprise identifiers of receiver/decoders. 
     
     
       9. The subscriber information management system according to  claim 8 , where the identifiers of receiver/decoders are based on numbers of smartcards issued in association with the receiver/decoders. 
     
     
       10. The subscriber information management system according to  claim 1 , wherein the system is adapted to send data to a receiver/decoder via the broadcast system, which data include an identifier of the receiver/decoder. 
     
     
       11. The subscriber information management system according to  claim 1 , further comprising means for storing information relating to the status of a subscriber. 
     
     
       12. The subscriber information management system according to  claim 1 , further comprising means for storing information relating to a subscription input by a subscriber over the internet. 
     
     
       13. The subscriber information management system according to  claim 1 , further comprising means for storing information relating to previous operations of an account by a subscriber. 
     
     
       14. The subscriber information management system according to  claim 1 , further comprising an interface for communicating with a Subscriber Management System which manages subscriptions to broadcast services. 
     
     
       15. The subscriber information management system according to  claim 14 , comprising an internet account management system adapted to receive subscription information from said Subscriber Management System. 
     
     
       16. The subscriber information management system according to  claim 14 , wherein the subscriber information management system is adapted to provide billing information to said Subscriber Management System. 
     
     
       17. The subscriber information management system according to  claim 1 , further comprising means for copying at least some of the subscriber internet parameters to an internet service provider. 
     
     
       18. The subscriber information management system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a gateway for access to an internet service provider by a receiver/decoder. 
     
     
       19. The subscriber information management system according to  claim 1 , further comprising means for allowing a subscriber to register an event and means for generating an e-mail on occurrence of the event. 
     
     
       20. A broadcast system, comprising:
 a subscriber information management system, the subscriber information management system, comprising: 
 means for storing subscriber broadcast parameters relating to access to internet services by the subscriber, 
 means for storing subscriber broadcast parameters relating to access to broadcast television by the subscriber, wherein the subscriber has a first subscription for access to internet services and a second subscription for access to broadcast television, and 
 means for processing requests relating to access to internet and broadcast services, which allows the broadcast system to provide internet services to the subscriber, 
 wherein providing internet services to the subscriber comprises allowing the subscriber to interactively use internet services, and 
 wherein said internet and broadcast parameters are linked by the subscriber information management system, and wherein the linked internet and broadcast parameters are used to relate the first subscription and the second subscription and to obtain internet services and broadcast services. 
 
     
     
       21. The broadcast system according to  claim 20 , including a Subscriber Management System for managing subscriptions to broadcast television. 
     
     
       22. The broadcast system according to  claim 20 , further comprising an Internet Service Provider, wherein the subscriber information management system is adapted to store subscriber information including subscriber smartcard numbers, and not to pass the subscriber smartcard numbers to the Internet Service Provider. 
     
     
       23. The broadcast system according to  claim 20 , comprising a subscriber information management system for storing subscriber information including subscriber smartcard numbers, and an Internet Service Provider, wherein the subscriber smartcard numbers are not passed to the Internet Service Provider. 
     
     
       24. A method of managing subscriber information, comprising:
 storing subscriber internet parameters relating to access to internet services by a subscriber and subscriber broadcast parameters relating to access to broadcast television by the subscriber, wherein the subscriber has a first subscription for access to internet services and a second subscription for access to broadcast television; and 
 processing requests relating to accessing the internet and broadcast services, thereby allowing a broadcast system to provide internet services to the subscriber, 
 wherein providing internet services to the subscriber comprises allowing the subscriber to interactively use internet services, and 
 wherein said internet and broadcast parameters are linked, and wherein the linked internet and broadcast parameters are used to relate the first subscription and the second subscription and to obtain internet services and broadcast services. 
 
     
     
       25. The method according to  claim 24 , wherein the subscriber broadcast parameters comprise information relating to the subscriber's subscription to broadcast television, and the subscriber internet parameters comprise information relating to the subscriber's subscription to internet services. 
     
     
       26. The method according to  claim 24 , comprising providing access to internet services for a subscriber having given broadcast parameters. 
     
     
       27. The method according to  claim 24 , comprising monitoring usage of the internet by the subscriber to provide billing information. 
     
     
       28. The method according to  claim 24 , wherein data is sent to a receiver/decoder via the broadcast system, which data include an identifier of the receiver/decoder. 
     
     
       29. The method according to  claim 24 , comprising storing information relating to the status of a subscriber. 
     
     
       30. The method according to  claim 24 , comprising storing information relating to a subscription input by a subscriber over the internet. 
     
     
       31. A method for managing subscriber information, comprising:
 storing subscriber internet parameters relating to access to internet services by a subscriber and subscriber broadcast parameters relating to access to broadcast television by the subscriber, wherein the subscriber has a first subscription for access to internet services and a second subscription for access to broadcast television, wherein the first subscription and the second subscription are not associated with each other, and wherein said internet and broadcast parameters are linked, and wherein the linked internet and broadcast parameters are used to relate the first subscription and the second subscription and to obtain internet services and broadcast services; 
 sending a request for internet services, wherein the request is sent by the subscriber using a receiver/decoder; 
 forwarding the request to an internet service provider (ISP), wherein the ISP is configured to use the subscriber internet parameters to obtain a response to the request, wherein the request is forwarded to the ISP via a gateway, if the receiver/decoder is not enabled to directly communicate with the ISP; 
 sending data in response to the request for internet services to the receiver/decoder via a broadcast system, wherein the broadcast system is configured to provide internet services to the subscriber; and 
 forwarding the data to the receiver/decoder, wherein the receiver/decoder is configured to extract and display the data.